A few months back, I found myself accompanying one of my good friends Teresa to a dinner to celebrate Edmonton's Light the Night Walk in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. Last year, the Prairies region of the society raised nearly $880000 to go towards research. That is definitely cause to celebrate!

Nello's Restaurant - 2920 Calgary Trail NW - Edmonton AB

When told the name of the restaurant, I will admit, I had no idea that Nello's existed. This restaurant is located right by the Melting Pot and beside Tasty Choice, tucked out of sight! I honestly never knew there was a restaurant there, and probably would never had known if it weren't for this dinner. And folks, this restaurant is worth searching for!

The restaurant itself is clean with modern decor, with plenty of seats, and dimmed lighting. The environment would be great for date night or dressing up and going out for dinner with the girls! It has that upscale feel without being pretentious, so casual dining is definitely welcome as well.

Given the nature of the event, most of the courses were served family style, and we all know how big Italian dinners can be! To start off the meal and calm my growling stomach, a large plate of bruschetta arrived to the table. The crisp crostini were drizzled with balsamic, giving the dish a nice underlying sweetness. The tomato mixture was very garlicky - vampires beware. I do like they way that they served it, as the mixture can soften up the bread after sitting for a while. This method ensured the crostini stayed crisp and delicious, especially for those who arrived a little late.

The second course was a salad for each individual. This thing was HUGE for an individual portion, but it was a great way to get fibre into the meal. The vegetables were fresh, and was refreshing with the balsamic and tangy dressing, but it felt like a boring salad for me, with the typical lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion and carrots.

The entree of the night was chicken parmigiana and two types of penne served family style. The chicken itself was incredibly smooth and tender, with the sauce and cheese complimenting it wonderfully. It wasn't too salty, and the breading on the chicken wasn't overly crisp. All the pasta was cooked al dente, but I've got to say I preferred the cream sauce option over the tomato sauce, which was a little too tangy for me.

To end off the filling meal, we were all served a biscotti dipped in white chocolate. It was the perfectly sweet ending complimented with a cup of coffee. I was pleasantly surprised by the food served at Nello's and would definitely return again in the future as it is quite close to where I am in the city. It's great, local, Italian food. What more could I ask for?

Disclaimer: as this was a celebratory event, views expressed in this post are solely mine. I was not expected to feature this restaurant on my blog, nor obligated to do so. This post is 100% my opinion, and as always, my priority is to you, the reader, to present an unbiased, thorough review.